


A Traitor Among Us

by jasminum_draconis



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Episode: s04e03 The Wicked Day, Fix-It, Gen, Knights being knights, strategist!gwen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21784906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminum_draconis/pseuds/jasminum_draconis
Summary: Merlin tells Arthur how his father really died.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin finds Arthur sitting in a chair when he enters, staring into space with storms behind his eyes... His friend doesn't deserve such pain. He wonders for a moment if he should even tell Arthur, or maybe wait until the pain isn't so fresh... But no. Arthur has to know.

"I am so sorry."

Arthur barely spares him a glance. His eyes are glossy with unshed tears. The silence grows heavier with every second Merlin lets pass trying to find a way to broach the subject. To lessen Arthur's burden. 

"I... I should've... I wish that there was something I could have done."

"Merlin. No one but me is to blame for this."

"You are not to blame," he wants to approach his friend, but he holds back, "This isn't your fault."

If anything it is Merlin's fault. If only he had thought to check for anything suspicious, then this could have all been avoided. The fact that he can't tell this to Arthur, that he has to forever live with that secret only compounds his guilt. 

"I'm entirely to blame. My father spent twenty years fighting magic. To think I knew better. I was so... _arrogant_. That arrogance has cost my father his life."

"No, Arthur-"

"Do not try to console me, Merlin. I don't deserve it."

He clenches his fist round the chain in his palm behind his back. It has grown colder rather than warmer. There is a sort of _wrongness_ in the feel of it. The same kind that had twisted his magic into into something so horrible. 

"I wasn't trying to console you. There is something you should know..."

He walks around the long table, to where Arthur sits at the head.

Arthur regards him with apprehension and resignation, "What is it." He sounds completely empty.

Merlin reaches out and opens his palm over the table. The chain clicks as it slips on the able and even the sound of it is wrong. Sick and twisted. "Gaius found this around your fathers neck. It's has been enchanted."

His gaze lock on the glinting amulet, "What kind of enchantment?"

"The kind that would reverse a healing spell into doing the exact opposite," he says, gauging Arthur's reaction with every word, "Someone put it around his neck to make sure you failed. Someone who knew what you were going to do."

Arthur doesn't move a muscle, his eyes stuck to the table. But his breathing is getting faster.

"We have a traitor among us, Arthur. Who else knew that you were going to save him with magic?" Whoever this person is, they would have to be someone Arthur would trust implicitly. They betrayed and hurt Arthur, and they made Merlin kill a dying man.

"You and Gaius and..." he stops. Merlin can see his eyes widen in simultaneous realisation and disbelief. 

"And who, Arthur?"

"Agravaine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might continue later.
> 
> I hate this already. I'm too stressed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my mind. This is fine. Never trust your stressed out brain to judge your writing.

"And you were with him the entire time?"

"I only left once to get one of the chambermaids to build a fire." Her eyes graze over his form with trepidation and then over at Merlin, who stands next to Arthur.

"Was anyone with my father when you did this?"

"Yes, Lord Agravaine," she pauses to look between them for a reaction, "He said the room was too cold." 

"Anyone else?" Despite his best efforts it feels like his voice betrays the storm in his heart.

Gwen shakes his head, "No. I suppose somebody could have come in after I left, but I wasn't gone for that long."

He wonders what he has done to deserve this. What he has done that was horrible enough to have the gods take his family away piece by piece. First Morgana, who had been a sister to him regardless of whether they shared blood, then his father, and now… 

He doesn’t want to believe it. He doesn’t even want to entertain the idea. There must be an explanation, a part of him whispers, that he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. There are many ways something can happen, confounding events and unlucky coincidences that can lead to distorted narratives. This cannot happen again.

"Did you speak to anyone about what I intended to do?"

"Of course not. Arthur, what's going on?"

Arthur pauses and looks at Merlin. He doesn't want to deal with this. He just lost his father and now he has to pick apart the little pieces of family he has left. He doesn't want to do this. 

"The sorcerer was sabotaged," he tells her.

"Sabotaged. By Agravaine?"

"It looks like."

"So Dragoon was…"

"Was actually trying to heal Uther."

"For someone who was too afraid to go into his house, you sure are fond of him, _Mer_ lin."

"I wasn't af— Never mind. What will you do now?"

"Watch him. We can't accuse him of treason without catching him red-handed."

"We just caught him red-handed."

"No, we didn't. This is too easily disputed. Guinevere had ample opportunity to do the same, more than my uncle. If we bring this into the accusations, you know what will happen."

"He'll point the finger at me," she supplies.

Merlin looks unsure for a moment before shaking his head, "So what? You're the king."

Arthur tries his best to not react to how unsettling it is to be called that. 

"It's not that simple. Even the coronation isn't until tomorrow. Accusing him now, like this, is dangerous."

"Arthur's right," Guinevere chimes in, "Agravaine has been here for almost a full year, at your side. I doubt he has just sat idle until now. We have to gather more information."

Merlin visibly deflates. She's right. She is too right. Who knows what kind of damage Agravaine has done?

"And..." she continues, index finger curled over her chin, "If he is working for Morgana, then he can be how we turn the tables on her. Stop her before she can gather allies and strike again. Morgana is too clever to put all her eggs in one basket. We won't get a chance like this again."

"Then I'll watch him," says Merlin, because he's an idiot.

"You? You are many things, Merlin, but _subtle_ is not one of them."

He tries to object, and thus proving Arthur's point when Guinevere cuts him off.

"Before that, perhaps we should codify our plan of action? There are still many things to consider. The rest of the council and court will have to be given the same information as Agravaine. So, who will be in the know?"

They both turn to Arthur for the decision. If his own uncle can turn against him like this, then any one of the high council could too. So could everyone. Servants could be bought or coerced, guards could be planted… 

Except the two in this room with him. 

And the few others who faced down an army of immortal men for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Gwen rubs the pad of her thumb over the darkened engraving. It's cold, and almost imperceptibly off, although she can't quite put her finger on it despite knowing exactly what it is. 

"A necklace."

Percival stares at her hands, eyes narrow and brow scrunched. He reaches and she readily hands it to him. She rubs away the feel of it afterwards. It's a little like getting unset soap on them and washing it away a second later that you should have.

"He killed the king with a necklace."

"And by hijacking somebody else's magic."

"But somebody in Camelot had to put it around his neck," Arthur continues with a skeptical glance at Merlin, "My uncle is the only one with knowledge and opportunity to carry it out."

"That… That can't be true," says Leon. He was the one who spent most time with Lord Agravaine after Arthur. He was a distant relative of Leon's and a close friend of his parents too. Gods, what a mess this is turning out to be...

"He is the only person left alone with the King," she tries to keep her voice soft. There is too much hurt already, "And only because I left them alone _at his request_."

All Leon can do is grimace. There really isn’t a way to argue that. 

"He needs to be watched at all times. Especially during his free time. He could have accomplices or people he is blackmailing. Hopefully he will lead us to these people." 

"I'll do it."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Merlin, if you suggest that one more time, I swear–"

"One of them disappearing will be suspicious," Merlin gestured to the knight then himself, "I disappear all the time."

"Don't I know it."

"Exactly."

" _Mer_ lin. No."

"It's safer."

Gwaine scoffs from across the room, "Safe? Do you think he will think twice before strangling you if you catch him red handed?"

"This is a knights duty." says Leon,"Not yours."

There is agreement all around the table, Gwen is very tempted to join them but…

"Merlin’s right." 

All heads turn to her.

"Leaving behind that amulet is probably one of the biggest risks he has taken so far. He will be on guard. If any of you start acting even a little bit differently, he will notice and it will ruin our chances. By far, Merlin is the one who can get away with being suspicious. You four on the other hand… will be conspicuous."

Arthur clenches his jaw and breathes through his nose. "Fine. He can do it. Just don't be a reckless idiot... Gwen, how easy would it be for you to get the Quarter Master’s ledger without her noticing?"

"Should be fairly easy."

"I want you to bring it here tonight."

She nods.

"And I want his rooms searched during the council meeting tomorrow morning. Then we wait for his next move."

"What about the records? " Percival speaks up. "Morgana could infiltrate the citadel with the schematics in there."

"We've checked. Nothings gone missing."

"He could have copied and replaced them."

"He has had the time," says Elyan. 

"He wouldn't need the time, Morgana has magic," says Gwaine, "I've seen sorcery create near perfect forgeries."

Merlin curses under his breath, as if he has just remembered something.

"Tell me there is a way to check that."

"I'll ask Gaius," says Merlin, already out the door.

Gods, this is so much worse than Gwen ever could have thought… 


End file.
